By mid-afternoon, even a loved garden can look thirsty and stressed.

On the Hibiscus Coast, these Summer Gardening Tips come down to three basics, compost, mulch (easy to source from local suppliers), and smarter watering that respects any water restrictions in place.

If watering is needed in dry spells, water less often but more thoroughly, aim for occasional deep soaks rather than light sprinklings, and check the soil is wet to at least 5cm so moisture reaches the subsoil.

Water early morning or early evening to reduce evaporation.

Keep food coming by making successive sowings and plantings of edible summer crops, and keep planting salad greens for steady summer harvesting.

Strawberries start ripening now, protect them from birds and keep water consistent.

Watch for white butterfly and other pests, act early, and if you need to spray around veg, use an environmentally friendly option and do it late in the day when bees have gone home.

Deadhead roses, perennials and annuals to prolong flowering, prune shrubs once flowering has finished, and prune stone fruit trees once harvest is complete.

This is also a good time to keep planting, including veggies, citrus, passionfruit, subtropical fruit, roses, trees and shrubs, plus flowers and perennials.

If you are heading away, harvest what you can, then weed, feed and water well, and double-check any watering systems are working before you go.

February is the main month for planting spring bulbs, so it is worth pencilling in now while you are in garden mode.

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